The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-08-14
WARS A BAD THING. y
An Incident Connected With
Sherman's Army.
A HOsPITABLE s0UFHERNER
Entertains Union Spy-A Discovery
After the Battle-One Coed Turn
Deserves Another.

tinued old man Plunkett, folks SCENE,
to know that there was trouble or brew
ing, and the big road was full of peopl
refugeeing,' and lots Of 'em had beef
'refugeeing' from way up in Tennessee
moving on as old Sherman advanced
and these we're in bad fix as sure a
you or born. Me and my old omar
never would turn EN- OF when they't
just az for shelter to keep outen tn,
rain, ond that hahn all, we fed EN- a
long as we had anything to feed on bu
things got mighty scarce with us, ant
We had to hear the poor little refugee,
ing children cry for bread many tim,
towards the last without being able te
give EN- any. Wars q bad thing
stranger; wars bad thing. s
might come on and it was raining
and so dark you couldn't see your hand
before you, and we had took the wimini
and children in as long as we had bed
that would hold one, and piled EN-
down on the floor as long as we had a
quilt and me and the old oman was
| f1xin' to 60 to bed ourselves, when the
dogs went GROUND the house same as
they'd er been after some wild varmint,
and when l went out to see what was
the matter, what should find but one
er the Gkeliest young wimin's as you
ever laid your eyes on, and when we got
her in the house she told the most pitt
| fullest tale you evar heerd, sayin' she'd
started down the road to keep outen the
way or old Sherman, and had lost her
way in the dark and couldn't go no fur
Their. The old oman ground some wheat
what she had parched and made some
coffee, and got out my bottle of spirits
what was made Outen sorghum, and we
warmed her up and made her feel at
home the best we could, and she lowed
she'd just set there in a chair till
mornin', and the old man lowed that
would never do, and she says, says she:
"I'd rather for you and the.Eold man
to" and then she scratched her head
and said that won't do either. So says
that the young stranger should sleep in
my bed with the old oman and would
straw that was up thar. After l seed
the old oman and the young stranger
all snug IN bed l went up the ladder
into the loft, and l lay down On the
broom straw and | had as good er
nights sleep as l ever had in my life,
for my head was right erg'inst the roof
and the rain battered on the boards,
and the man what haiDt slept to the
sound of rain on house top don't know
nothin' erbout sleep.
The young stranger was up and gone
next morning by the time it was light,
and nothin' strange was thought of it,
for in war time folks don't think strange
of many things.
Long up in the day following the
night the young oman slept with my
old lady, l was out in the piazza, and l
looked up the road and l seed long
line of blue-coated soldiers er comm,
and called up the old oman, and
says we'r goners-them's them. yanks.
Browns gals was over at my house, and
they lowed it was no use to run, so we
stood thar in the piazza, and pretty
soon the soldiers we're all out in the
road in front'r the house, and they
stopped, and no sooner than they
stopped than down they set on each side |
er the road, and pretty soon here come |
some men on horses down the road, and |
the men they rise to their feet and hol- |
Ter huzar, huzar, huzar l didn't like
that boiler, and l don't like it yet. |
Pretty soon seed them men what was |
on horses was officers, and in mint |
two of them started toward the house, |
and rid rite into the yard, and then |
saws. We'r goners, shore. The two rid |
up to the well, one of them was as
pretty er Yonkee as you ever laid your |
ewes on, and the other was an old, sharp /
lookin' cuss, and they said that's Gen
eral Sherman 1 was gain at 'em for
[ spected every mint to see the one /
thew said was Sherman run his hand
into his Jacket for match, but he
didn't. and pretty soon the young Off
Ger looked over at rs and raised his cap
as politely as any Southern fellow would
err done, and the old fellow he smiled
andgathey rideI on. Then thinks | to
myself, what in thunder's the matter
with these here Yankees. But l seed
the old fellow call fellow what had er
sword er hanging by his side, to him,
and he pointed toward the house, and
pretty soon twelve soldiers started right
up towards US, and then says now l
know we're goners. They came right up
to US. and ore er then lowed:
"We are sent here as guards to your
You can rest easy; nothin
you have got will be disturbed"
Pretty soon up ride fellow with
lot er bundles in his arms, and he gave
the old oman a package of coffee, and
several things what we'd not seen any OF
since the war begun, and then he turned
and handed me note, and l called one
er Browns gals and told her to read it,
and she read it, and here is what it said:
These things are sent to you by the
young officer that drank at your well
bit ago. Please accept as coming from
one whom you kindly placed in the bed
with your wife last night. l am a
federal scout. F. n. c.
The old 'oman lowed well. well, well,
and l lowed hell, hell, hell Wars
bad thing. stranger; wars bad thing.
1t warn'tlong fore the battle OF Jones,
boro set in, and the big guns roared and
the little guns ratified, and the Yankees
hollered huzzs, huzza, huzzs and Har-
dee's men hollered same as 10000 men
after fox just fore the dogs pick him
up. and by jinks, got Ground like
never had er touch or rheumatics in nv